Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-05-07
GOLD LEAF.
Row. Where and by whom il il Manu-.
factured.

Gold leaf is manufactured in about twenty shops
in New York and its suburbs. says the New York
ErC1lji0 Sun. 1t is estimated that 90 500 ounces
OF gold are consumed annually here In making
gold leaf. Gold can be beaten thin that 1T will
take l. 200 leaves to equal the thickness OF the
sheet upon which this paper Is printed An ounce
can be beat down 10 900 leaves, 37. inches
square.
At an establishment in Hudson street repor-
ter was told that the gold is bought OF brokers I'm
small ingotS, which are melted into bars about a
quarter of an inch thick. These are rolled into q
ribbon as thick as note paper. After passing
through the hands of the beatersi t is put I'm books
interviewed with MANILA tissue, and twenty books
arr pat I'm package. The ordinary sells for s. q
package, and the best $50 to $40 No dross
COMES from the gold as il Is beaten, but there are
ragged edges that drop OF. The leaf is used by
guliderS, boohbinders, dentists and sign painters.
The wages of gold beaterS are s11 II week. a
picte hand gets 81 a beating. A good one can pos
siniJ 90 Two a week, and as many as nine in a
month have been done. Extra is paid Ii the work
man beats the gold below 5 grains to book
some can 20 To AZ an even grains per book.
How thin can you get it?' Il beateT in Broome
street was asked.
III is beaten to one Observation-Disclosures
or an Inch thick at five grains To the book If it
gets town 10 Tour grains 1t is one three-hundred-
OF an inch. The New York
system employs nen only, with girls To do the
elget or nine, which system Hastings, of Philadel-
phla- tried 10 introduce here but his workmen
struck, anu ne lost his lead. On that system men
DO the beating and girls do the printing and FILL
ing"
''iIow is the gold beaten?"
at Is beaten in mOul;iS made in London from
the lnteS mes Oh cows, cleaned and vanished WITH
u secret preparation manufactured by Puckr1dge
& Nephew, OF London. The skins are put In pack
ages Of 900 skins each, and three of these mOulds
60 Ia Il beating.7
GLOW much gold is there in a beatinge'
''Fi1ty penny weight In beating. The ribbon
of solid gold Il divided into one hundred and seventy
or one hundred and eighty pieces each about
inch square. These are put into a clutch made OF
French paper four inches square. That is beaten
until We get the gold to the edges. 1t is handled
with pinCers az that time. II is beaten half an
hour The pieces are then piled twenty on top of
each other. They are then cut in four and doubled
over, making seven hundred and twenty. They
are then put in a .schOder,' or finer mould cut
down. We fill the schoder with those leaves in
the middle, and break 1T out to the edges. We
beat il about two hours, until we draw about ten
pennywcights off the ss:hoder."
DOCS IL have 10 be kept dry?''
ave have to keep the windows shut; but the
clutches, schoderS, and mould take I'D so much
moisture that they have to be put in lot mould TO
press the moisture OUT
DOCS that finish it?1
''Uh, no. The leaves are cut again into four with
tool called a wagon, making 1850, but the
mOUdS hold only 200. The mOudS are beare en-
four hours, at the end of each hour there being
what X called Il close, when they are heated.
Then the beater is through with 1t and the cutter
takes II. This Is the only work done by the girls
iii New York. They can cut from 30 to III books
day at ~ cents a book. The leaf when it gets in
a book Is So thin that it is handled only with the
BREATH
GLOW Is the work tcSted:"
'On!y with the eye. There Is no rule about the
business, but it is purely matter Of skill and
Judgment. The best Is the KIND used on glass,
which shows all impcrfections.r
81 notice goldbeaters usually work in base
meutS? Why Is thate'
az 1lrmer blow can be given. II on the first
story, there Is jar, which deteriorates the
quality"
us there any adulteration In the buSinessi'
''Ihe GerinanS beat what is called a metal leaf
with an alloy. 1t Is sold very cheap. IL Is the
oleomargarne OF gold leaf, and Will tarnish. Much
OF IL il used by bOOkbinderS-
''Wnen did the trade Start:-
at Il very ancient. 1t is mentioned In the
Bible. Gold leaf was used on SOlOmon's temple.
The Chinese beat gold leaf, but il cannot compare
in quality with American leaf. Some of the
Cinnamon had trouble with their employers, but
they soon ended ii. They got the employer into
their lodge room, and then one after another took
big bite out OF his tieSh.'